WEST BARNSTABLE, MA — January 3, 2024
Cape Symphony’s Passport to Hungary concerts on January 27 and 28, conducted by Kevin Fitzgerald, will take audiences on an unforgettable musical journey that includes works by Zoltán Kodály, Franz Liszt, and Béla Bartók, followed by shorter pieces by Darius Blasband, Jerry Bock, J. Suha Balogh and others. World-renowned Hungarian virtuoso violinist Roby Lakatos and the Roby Lakatos Ensemble will be guest artists.
Kevin Fitzgerald is an award-winning American conductor known for his commitment to a diverse and modernized musical world. He is Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony and a 2021 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Trumpet and Music Theory from the Eastman School of Music, and a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan.
Roby Lakatos’s music, passion, good humor and incomparable style promote Hungarian culture around the globe. He’s known as a folk violinist, a classical master, and a jazz improvisor, composer and arranger, and has performed at the world’s great concert halls, including at the Vatican, London’s Albert Hall, and New York’s Carnegie Hall. A seventh-generation descendent of legendary Hungarian violinist János Bihari – the “King of Gipsy Violinists” famously admired by Beethoven, Brahms and Liszt – Mr. Lakatos learned to play the violin in earliest childhood. Educated at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest, he took first prize for violin at 19 and launched a world-wide concert career. Today he is internationally recognized for renewing interest in Hungarian folk music by fusing it with classical music, Balkan music, Orthodox Jewish music, and jazz.
The Roby Lakatos Ensemble is composed of younger, classically educated virtuoso musicians who have also grown up with traditional Hungarian folklore. They record a unique style of music incorporating folk elements with jazz, improvisation, and technical effects, as well as works of classical composers from Kodály to Brahms. Their combination of classical and contemporary elements with jazz and folk idioms excites and delights audiences.
Mr. Fitzgerald is very enthusiastic about bringing the greatness of Hungarian music to Cape Cod audiences, and structured the “Passport to Hungary” program to make the most of the opportunity. “The first half of the program (Kodály, Liszt, Bartók) represents late 19th and early 20th century classical Hungarian repertoire,” he says. It will feature Jeno Lisztes of the Roby Lakatos Ensemble playing the cimbalom, a unique Hungarian instrument with a large part in the Intermezzo from Kodály’s “Háry János Suite.” It is a rare treat to see this instrument played live! “Nobody really knows how to play it here,” says Mr. Fitzgerald. “You really have to have a musician from Hungary.” After intermission, “the second half of the program is all Roby’s arrangements. It will be pure virtuoso fireworks!”
Cape Symphony is proud to present “Passport to Hungary” at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center, 744 West Main Street, Hyannis on Saturday, January 27 at 7:30 PM and on Sunday, January 28 at 3:00 PM. The concert is about two hours long, including a 20-minute intermission. A pre-concert talk, free to ticketholders, will be given by Cape Symphony Assistant Conductor Joe Marchio in Knight Auditorium an hour before each performance.
To purchase tickets, visit capesymphony.org, call 508.362.1111, email tickets@capesymphony.org, or visit the Cape Symphony Box Office at 2235 Iyannough Road in West Barnstable. The Box Office is open Monday – Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Concert tickets for students ages 6 to 22 are 50% off individual ticket prices. Only tickets purchased on Cape Symphony’s secure website or through the Cape Symphony Box Office are legitimate and guaranteed.
Media Contact:
Susan Sundermeyer, Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator
774-470-2282; ssundermeyer@capesymphony.org
About Cape Symphony
At Cape Symphony, our mission is to Inspire Joy. We do this through outstanding entertainment and educational programs. Cape Cod’s very own professional orchestra performs at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center in Hyannis. From popular hits to magnificent classics, highlighting hidden gems and putting a new twist on standards, the emphasis is always on fun, surprises, and beautiful music. Cape Symphony’s commitment to education for all ages includes private lessons, dance instruction, music classes, voice, and ensembles at our West Barnstable and Falmouth campuses and online. Our acclaimed Cape Symphony Preschool is known for its holistic approach to learning and arts-infused curriculum. Through “Cape Symphony Presents” programming, Cape Symphony introduces a diverse array of engaging artists and touring ensembles of all genres to communities across the Cape. Visit www.capesymphony.org for more information.
